Keratin treatments can make hair look smooth, silky, and frizz-free. But after investing time and money into the treatment, many wonder if it’s safe to curl their hair afterwards. The good news is, yes you can curl your hair after a keratin treatment! But there are a few precautions to take.
What Is Keratin Treatment?
Keratin is a protein that makes up much of the structure of hair and skin. Keratin treatments work by applying a topical formula that penetrates the hair cuticles to temporarily repair damage and smooth the hair strands.
There are two main types of keratin treatments:
- Formaldehyde keratin treatments
- Formaldehyde-free keratin treatments
During the treatment, the keratin formula is brushed through clean, washed hair and left to process for about 30-90 minutes under heat. It is then rinsed, blow dried, and flat ironed. This seals the keratin into the hair cuticles.
Over the next few days, the keratin continues to process and bond to the hair strands to make it straighter, smoother, and less frizzy. Results can last anywhere from a couple months to 5-6 months.
| Treatment Type | Treatment Time | Lasts | Formaldehyde? |
| Formaldehyde | 30-90 minutes | 3-5 months | Yes |
| Formaldehyde-free | 30-90 minutes | 2-3 months | No |
So in summary, keratin treatments bond keratin protein to hair strands through the use of formaldehyde or another aldehyde in order to temporarily make hair straighter and less frizzy.
Is It Safe To Curl Hair After Keratin Treatment?
Yes, it is generally safe to curl your hair after getting a keratin treatment. However, you’ll want to be careful with how hot you set your curling iron and allow your hair to completely cool between curls.
Why Curling Can Damage Hair After Keratin Treatments
Here’s why you need to take precautions when curling freshly keratin treated hair:
The keratin bonds to your hair cuticles and smooths them down. Using high, direct heat from tools like curling irons, straighteners, or blow dryers can break these bonds and lift the cuticles again — damaging hair and reducing the longevity of the keratin treatment.
Overusing hot tools right after the treatment can melt away the keratin product coating the hair. This leaves hair unprotected.
However, this doesn’t mean you cannot curl your hair at all! You just need to adjust your heat settings and styling techniques.
Best Practices for Curling Keratin Treated Hair
Follow these tips to safely curl hair after a keratin treatment:
- Wait 48 hours – Give the keratin bonds time to fully set before using any heated tools.
- Keep heat below 300°F – Use a low or medium heat setting to avoidexcessive breakage.
- Limit direct contact – Hold the barrel in hair for just 5-10 seconds max before releasing the curl.
- Let hair cool completely – Never re-curl hot hair as this causes compounding damage.
- Use heat protectant – Spritz hair with a thermal protectant beforehand.
- Extend days between curls – Style hair with curls only every 2-3 days instead of daily.
- Avoid tight curls – Tighter curls increase friction and weakness. Opt for loose waves.
- Gently brush curls – Carefully loosen cooled curls with a wide-tooth comb to prevent snapping strands.
As long as you follow these precautions, you should be able to safely curl your hair without causing substantial damage to the keratin treatment.
How Soon After Can You Curl Hair?
We recommend waiting at least 48 hours after your keratin treatment before using any heated styling tools like curling irons or flat irons.
This gives the keratin formula adequate time to fully penetrate the hair cuticles and for the bonds to set. Using high heat too soon can disrupt this process.
You’ll know it’s safe to start styling with heat again once your hair is completely dry, smooth, and you don’t see visible keratin residue.
At this point, you can begin lightly curling or straightening hair while following our best practice tips above!
What Temperature Should You Curl Keratin Treated Hair?
When curling keratin treated hair, keep the heat at or below 300°F / 150°C — towards the low to medium settings on your iron.
Higher heat can cause excessive damage by breaking the keratin bonds too quickly and boiling the moisture inside the strands.
Here are ideal heat settings based on hair type when curling after keratin treatment:
- Fine or damaged hair – 250°F or less
- Medium-textured hair – 280°F
- Thick or coarse hair – 300°F max
Also focus the heat on the lower middle part of hair — avoid directly heating the fragile ends.
Remember to limit direct contact time to just 5-10 seconds per section as well. This prevents concentrated heat exposure.
Adjust Heat Setting Based on Time Since Treatment
You may be able to use slightly higher temperatures safely once a few weeks have passed from your treatment date.
Here’s a guide on adjusting curling iron settings based on the age of your keratin treatment application:
| After Keratin Treatment | Max Temperature |
| First 48 hours | Avoid curling |
| 2 weeks | 300°F or less |
| 1 month | 320°F or less |
| 2+ months | 340°F or less |
Keratin Treatment Curling Do’s & Don’ts
Follow these do’s and don’ts every time you curl your keratin treated hair to keep it healthy.
What to Do When Curling Keratin Treated Hair
- Use thermal protection spray
- Tightly clamp hair near the ends
- Hold a loose curl shape with the barrel
- Limit direct heat contact to 5-10 seconds
- Allow hair to fully cool before re-styling
- Gently brush out curls when finished
What NOT to Do When Curling Keratin Treated Hair
- No direct heat for 48 hours after treatment
- Don’t set iron higher than 300°F
- Don’t let hair wrap tightly around the barrel
- Avoid leaving heat on one section for longer than 10 seconds
- Don’t re-curl hair before its fully cooled
- Don’t tightly wind or brush out curls
Best Curling Iron Size For Keratin Treated Hair
The best curling iron barrel size for keratin treated hair is 3/4 – 1 1/4 inches.
Anything smaller than 3/4 inches can aggressively bend and torque hair around a tight ring. This weakens the keratin bonds.
We recommend using a loose, voluminous curling wand or tong with a clamp. The wider barrel puts less tension across strands to prevent too much pulling or friction.
A barrel wand above 1 1/4 inches may not hold a long-lasting curl shape. But professional stylists often use large 2” barrels after smoothing treatments.
So focus on low heat and quick passes rather than curl diameter. Keep curls loose rather than super defined. And use the right heat protectant products as well.
What Products To Use Before Curling Keratin Treated Hair
Using the right products before applying heat tools is crucial for avoiding damage to keratin treated strands.
Here are the 3 must-have products to use:
Heat Protectant Spray
Mist hair evenly before curling with a gentle yet powerful protectant spray. This nourishes strands and creates a barrier against high temperatures.
Keratin Treatment Aftercare Product
These specialized formulas contain keratin proteins and silicones that bind to hair post-treatment. Using the matching aftercare regimen helps prolong results.
Thermal Brush or Paddle Brush
Gently detangle and smooth hair with a brush designed to protect against heat damage. Avoid regular bristle brushes.
Applying these products creates the needed cushioning around keratin bonds while curling hair.
Can You Curl Your Hair Right After Keratin Treatment?
It’s best not to curl hair immediately after a keratin treatment. We recommend waiting at least 48 hours before using any heated tools like curling irons or flat irons.
Curling too soon can very quickly cause damage by interrupting the setting of the keratin bonds before they fully seal.
Within the first 1-2 days, your keratin treated hair is at its most vulnerable state. The protein ingredients are still deeply penetrating the strands and reacting with the aldehyde chemical compounds.
Exposing hair to additional high heat this soon essentially cooks the moisture inside the strands — leading them to become dry, brittle, and fried.
If you curl immediately after treatment, you’ll likely watch your glass-like straight locks puff back up to your original texture very fast.
So exercise discipline and avoid all hot tools for the first 2 days! Your hair will thank you with longer lasting frizz-free results.
When Can You Wash Your Hair After Keratin Treatment?
You should wait 3 full days (72 hours) after getting a keratin treatment before washing your hair.
Washing too soon can make the treatment wear off faster. The bonds need adequate time to fully set and seal in the smoothness benefits.
Shampooing earlier often causes hair to poof up as the moisture loosens the keratin’s grip on the cuticles lifted open by the water.
Follow your stylist’s post-treatment guidelines on when it’s safe to wash. But you generally want your hair to have 0% residue before introducing moisture. Aim to stretch washes to every 3-5 days as well to lock in longevity.
Does Keratin Straighten Hair Permanently?
No, keratin treatments do NOT permanently straighten hair. The results are temporary, lasting anywhere from 6 weeks up to 5 months normally.
The treatment can make hair appear straighter for longer compared to other smoothing services. But hair will eventually revert back to its natural pattern as the keratin bonds break down over time.
Repeated touch-up treatments can help prolong the straightening effects. But keratin services never permanently alter hair’s inner structure or genetic frizz-proneness.
The bonds only temporarily coat the external cuticle layer to make strands appear smooth, glossy, and less curled — until the protein gradually washes away.
Damaged, very coiled hair types usually don’t last as long. More upkeep applies for tighter curls. Healthier hair can retain the effects a bit longer since their cuticles uptake more keratin.
But no hair type sees forever change from keratins. As new untreated growth comes in, some wave and puffiness will return demanding another treatment to conceal around the 3-4 month mark for most.
Conclusion
Curling your hair after getting a keratin treatment can be safe when done correctly. Just be sure to avoid using any hot tools for the first 48 hours post-treatment. This gives the keratin bonds crucial time to set.
After a couple days, you can begin lightly curling hair using a curling iron set at 300°F or below. Clamp hair gently to avoid tugging and limit direct heat contact to 5-10 seconds max per section. Allow all curls to fully cool before touching up the hair again.
It also helps to prep strands with a heat protecting spray along with the customized aftercare products from your treatment line.
Taking things slow and gentle while curling freshly smoothed hair preserves the glass-like keratin results much longer! Going above 300 degrees or aggressively winding hair can cause bonds to deteriorate fast leading to dryness and snapage.
So show some patience and use low heat if wanting to safely curl hair after keratin treatments. Your soft, bouncy curls will hold beautifully for months as long as you follow these precautions and recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Curling Keratin Treated Hair
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about curling keratin-treated hair:
Should you curl your hair after a Brazilian Blowout?
Yes, you can curl your hair after a Brazilian Blowout keratin treatment. But you must wait at least 48 hours for the keratin bonds to set before using any heated tools. Keep the curling iron at medium heat or below 300°F. Gently curl hair in 5-10 second passes to prevent excess damage.
Can I use hot rollers on keratin treated hair?
You can use hot rollers on keratin treated hair but keep the heat moderate below 300°F. Velcro rollers are gentler than spiral rollers as well. Allow hair to fully cool off rollers before brushing out curls to prevent snapping bonds in tension.
What happens if you curl your hair too soon after keratin?
Curling hair too soon after keratin treatments can cause extreme dryness, breakage, and made the results wear off very quickly. The high heat damages unset keratin bonds leading hair to puff up. Wait 48+ hours before using hot tools.
Is it bad to curl your hair everyday with keratin?
Yes, curling keratin treated hair daily risks overusing heat. Hair needs a chance to rest and rehydrate inbetween hot tool use. Limit curling to every 2-3 days max. Use lower temperatures below 300°F as well to prevent compounding cuticle damage over time.
Can I straighten my hair after keratin treatment?
Yes, you can straighten hair after a keratin treatment once the initial 48 hour waiting period has passed. Use low or medium heat settings below 300°F on flat irons and make quick 5 second passes. Repeated high heat can degrade keratin over time leading to poufy results.